The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-09
LUELLA MABBITT'S SAD FATE
The Missing Girls Father Tells What
He Knows of Her Disappearance.
Dressed in Slippers and Wrapper She Came
from Her Room to Talk to Greer, and Was
Never Again Seen Alive by Anyone.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal


LAFAYETTE, Ind, Feb. s.-This morning the
father Of Lou Mabbitt, the missing Carroll
county girl, was put upon the witness stand and
questioned as to what light he could throw upon
the clothing worn by his daughter on the night
of her disappearance. Mr.. Mabhitt is quite far
along in years. His family consisted of his wife
and eight children and his fund of information
as to details in regard to clothing is very linn
tied. He declares that his daughter was called
from her bed about 10 o'clock at night by Green.
She at first refused to go down, but on his threat
ening to do violence, she threw on a cross barred
gineham wrapper drew on her hose and an old
pair of slippers, and came dowr stairs
bare-headed In this condition she
conversed at the gate for some
time with Green. The mother went to the
door to who it was, and returned to bed
That is the last time the family ever saw her
aliye. The missing girl is twenty-three years
DID, and wsdDone OF twins. She had been keep
Ing company with Green. he says, for some
-4ssGae-<sIe aid not Iik5 .he reputation Green
Boz although he declares he never saw his
face but once. On the Monday previous to the
disappearance of Miss Lou the father asked her
II she could not find somebody else than Green
with whom to keep company. She replied that
she did not like Green, and had made up her
mind to discard him, and that she would write
a letter to that effect that afternoon. She did
30, and in the letter she told Green she never
wished to see him again. This letter Green re-
reived on Friday morning Aug. G. He seemed
much enraged. To man named Demerer
who lived on the Green farm. he said IF
a girl was to go back on you like Lou
Mohh haco -H,< Ann H.
merer replied. Nothing. What would you dog
81 would take her twenty five or thirty miles
from her home" he replied 'kick her to death
and let her lay there'
That night he came after Lou, and they left
the Mabbitt houee. She was never seen after
ward. On the following day, Mr.. Mabbitt says,
Green was seen sitting on the fence near the
wagon road, apparently resting. He drew his
hat down to shield his face as he saw young
man Whose name he could not recall) coming
along. A few minutes after, a Mr.. Beard, who
lives near the middle fork of the creek. came
along the same road. He, too, saw Green, but
at this time he was down in the creek bottoms
washing his hands. He was putting them down
in the mud, rubbing them hard and them
rinsing them in the stream. Two OF
three days after, in fence corner, near where
Green was seen on that morning. the upper por-
ton of his daughters chemise and also the waist
part of her gingham dress were found. They
were wet and dirty at that time These articles
he said. in the custody of the sheriff OF
Clinton county. On the Sunday following the
disappearance of the girl Mrs. Green, the moth
Or OF Amer. said to Mr.. Mabbitt that he need have
no uneasiness or fears about Luela-that she
was confident that she would not in the least be
hurt or injured Mrs. Green has since sold of
the farm property, and gone to Ohio.
The old gentleman was questioned closely
about the teeth of his daughter, but
Ia
tooth it was that was broker
off is not very good. He knows
one was missing, and that another contained a
cavity, because they were matters frequently
.alked about. but beyond this, he could tell very
little. The prosecuting attorney has taken hold
of the matter now, and will endeavor to have
the body identified He. this forenoon: decided
that it would be highly necessary to have the
mother and daughter Cynthia frecently married
to Walkerl as witnesses, and subpenas were
issued for them; ALSO for Mr.. Beard and the
sheriff OF Clinton county. The prosecutor
thought that the mother and sister would be the
better able to describe the clothing and tn,
teeth than the father. and hence they were sent
for. The old gentleman has not yet looked
at the body of the woman foun,
in the river and the authorities thought bes
that he should not until after the sister an,
mother have been questioned. Cynthia is tn
sister who first went down to tell Green that Lo
- would not come down to see him, and afterwar
went after her sister. Walker Ito whom she
now married) was also present with Green, an
while Lou and Green were conversng at tn
gate Walker and Cynthia walked down the roa
short distance. When they returned Gree
snd the,s girl were gone. The old folk
supposed she had gone to bed
and never knew any better until tn
next morning 1t is five miles from a1abbtt'
home to the Wildcat creek, which empties int
the Wabash river and the body might have bee
thrown into the creek and thus found Its way t,
The river. Little Deer creek is about eight
rods from the Mabbitt homestead, and thi
,mpties into Big Deer creek and the latter irt
ihe Wabash river IL the body came into tn
.iver by this course it would have ioated sixtee
niles. This creek. in places, is nine to eightee
'eet deep.
Nothing new was developed during the afte
noon in the investigation TO establish the iden
ity of the woman taken from the Wabash.
number of persons who assisted in taking tn
,ody out of the drift were examined, but no ne